Diagnosed in 1990, Christine has experienced fibromyalgia (FM) symptoms since childhood. After a career in aerospace finance she was trained as an FM support group leader by the Arthritis Foundation and participated in groups on both the east and west coasts. Designated a Leader Against Pain by the National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA) she advocated for increased funding and awareness for FM. She is the author of “More Than Tender Points: A Fibromyalgia Memoir,” available on Amazon. An Upstate New York transplant now living in Southern California, she credits the sunshine for improving her symptoms.
I became forgetful in my 40s. At that time I was too young to attribute it to old age. There were no diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia yet, and I’d never ... Read more
I’ve never been one of those women with a water bottle in her hand or her purse wherever she goes. Knowing that drinking lots of water prevents wrinkles, I’d always ... Read more
We all know that fibromyalgia means having good days and bad days. I just never realized how very different those days were. A few months ago, I felt well both ... Read more
This evening, I watched my first televised political ad for a gubernatorial candidate. Listening to it made me sad. Regardless of your political affiliation, I’m guessing that you, like me, ... Read more
I’ve decided to go on strike this week. I’m not talking about work. Gratefully, I’m retired. I’m talking about appointments, most of them medical. It’s not that my doctors aren’t ... Read more
I had the good fortune of attending two of the National Fibromyalgia Association’s (NFA) conferences held in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The NFA, which is less active now, ... Read more
A reader commented about my last column that dealt with attending parties. She alleged that if I were able to attend a party at all, then I was 100 percent ... Read more
This week, a friend of mine held a cocktail party for those of us who offered her assistance while her husband was hospitalized at the same time she’d had the ... Read more
Earlier this week, we had two days of unusually dark, drizzly weather, during which I felt bad both physically and psychologically. On the third day, the sun came out. I ... Read more
